Improvement in reversible latches



To all whom it ma/y concern.

Be it known that'I, W T. MUNGER, of Branford, in Y f. t nitell tatee` T. MUNGER. OF BRANFORD, ASSIGNOR TO P. AND F. CORBIN,

' 0F NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

Lamm Patent No. 85,754, dated Janmy 12,1869.

IIHPROVEIM'ENT IN lIECElVERSIBIIE LATCHES.

The Schedule referred t inthele Letters Patent and making part of the same.

the county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented, made, and appiied to use a certain new and useful Improvement in Locks; and I do hereby l.declare the following to be a fu-ll, clear, and. exact description of the same, reference beingA had to the annexed drawing, making part of this specification, wherein- Figure l is an elevation of the lock, with a portion` of the cap-plate removed, to .show the interior;

Figure 2 is a vertical section at the line 23 x, fig. 1;

' Figure 3 is a partial horizontal section through the lock-case and sliding plate; and

Figure 4 is an elevation of the sliding plate lbehind a portion of the cap-plate.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

This invention relates to a reversible latch in a look, and consists in a slide for holding the shank of the latch to its position in the swinging link, im combination with a projection upon said swinginglink that operates the 4saidholding slide, so that the simple act `l of pressing in the latch, rafter it has been reversed, or

the turning of the handle to draw in said latch, se-

' cures the latch in position, so that it cannot be reversed again until the slide is drawn back.

By this construction, the parts that retain the latch in position can be operated after the lock has been put in place in the door, thus avoiding the necessity of -taking out a lock from its mortise if the slide has not been previously moved, and returning the slideto position if displaced by a jar or otherwise.

'In the drawinga represents the box of the lock;

' b, the cap-plate; and v c, the faceplate, through which the head d of the latch slides as usual.

e is the shank of the latch, with ahead, l, setting within a .cavity in the swinging link f.

2 is thecentre'stud for said link f.

.3 and v4c are studs for the arm g of the hub h to act upon, and withdraw the latch by the hub h being turned by the knob and spindle ofthe door.

AThe shank e. is guided'in the projecting ange 5, and

`the head1 may-be drawn out of the cavity inf, and drawnforward, so as to allow the square hase of the latchl to be outside of the plate c, and be reversed; but, when the slide-plate k intervenes between the' cap-plate b and shank c, the latch d c is held rmly in its position.

, The slide-plate la is fitted with a thumb-piece, 6, coming through and sliding as a -dovetail in the bevelledsided slot in the cap-plate b, so as to retain the same in position, the upper end of the slot'in the plate b being the link f is moved bythe latch e being pushed in, or the knob and hub h turned, the stud 13, pushingdown the slide-platek, places the same in the positionshown in g. 2, to hold the button-end of the shank in its cavity inthe swinging link f.

I do not claim a reversible latch in which a springcatch, connected with the slide, is employed to hold the shank of the latch when inserted.

What I claim, and desireto secure by Letters Iatf ent, is-

The slide k, or its equivalentthat is moved to hold the latch in position when the parts thatintervene be.

tween the latch and spindle are themselves moved, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereuntoset my signature, this 11th day of August, A. D. 1868:

W. T. MUNGER. Witnesses:

' CHARLES PEOR, EDwD L. PRIOR. 

